Namaste,
Welcome to another edition of CAM News. A quick reminder: here are links to previously discussed nutrients, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, and a link to explanations of common terms. Let’s not waste any more time, on to Vitamin E.
Our discussion of this month’s vitamin will mainly center around two main texts I found useful in the research of Vitamin E. The Antioxidant Miracle: Put Lipoic Acid, Pycnogenol, and Vitamins E and C to Work for You by Dr. Packer and Carol Colman, and William’s Essential of Nutrition.
While conducting feeding experiments on rats in 1922
Herbert McLean Evans found that, despite the presence of all the then known nutrients, the rats where not fertile. He concluded that there must exist another, as of yet, unknown vitamin. It was not until 1938 that the chemical structure of vitamin E was determined. The name given to vitamin E has its roots in the Greek words tokos (childbirth) and pherein (to carry). Because the substance is a phenol or alcohol, it was given the ending -ol. Tocopherol. Even though its connection with fertility was only proven in laboratory animals and not in humans, vitamin E became known as the anti-sterility vitamin. Researchers now have found many other connections of vitamin E and health. Read on…Absorption, Transport, Storage
Natural Vitamin E is a generic name given to a group of eight compounds with similar activity in the human body. Four tocopherols and four tocotrienols. All of them are available in alpha, beta gamma and delta forms. For all you chemistry buffs out there, the image on the left depicts the chemical structure of vitamin E. In case you are wondering, this is were we will leave the complex world of chemistry behind and focus on vitamin E and human nutrition.
It is our modern food processing which rids our food of virtually all natural vitamin E. This could mean that many of us are not getting enough vitamin E from the diet. And if you are supplementing there is one caveat, most dietary supplements contain only one form of vitamin E, alpha tocopherol. Make sure to read on because below I will mention a couple of studies showing the importance of getting the full spectrum of tocopherols and tocotrienols. From here on out, vitamin E will be a reference to the whole spectrum of this important antioxidant.
Vitamin E is a yellowish oil, pretty stable to acids and heat and does not dissolve in water.
Vitamin E is absorbed in the
micelles with the help of bile. Then vitamin E is transported from the intestinal wall into the lymph. The lymph in turn is responsible for putting vitamin E in general circulation. And of course as mentioned before, since vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin, it is stored in the body, mainly in the liver and fatty tissue in the form of little droplets. The process of mobilization is rather slow.Functions of Vitamin E
Let me say this up front. Vitamin E is the most powerful fat-soluble antioxidant. As you might know antioxidants help neutralize free radicals which bounce around in your body. Free radicals are thought to be the culprit of many chronic diseases and of course free radicals might play a role in aging. Here is how it works: Free radicals are highly reactive molecules with only one electron and by nature are on the look out for a partner for this unpaired electron. Due to how cell processes work, free radicals are merciless scavengers of temporarily freed electrons from healthy cells. Once this happens the cell is left without its paired electrons and vulnerable to mutation.
According to William’s, polyunsaturated fatty acids are especially prone to be attacked by these free radicals. As mentioned above, cell membranes contain very high amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Once the cell membrane is compromised, DNA and other proteins in the cell nucleus could be altered by this oxidation and hence produce molecules which are severely diminished in their effectiveness to carry out body functions. In case you are wondering, brain cells and nerve fibers are particularly high in polyunsaturated fatty acids [1]. Since Vitamin E protects the cells from oxidative damage it is safe to say that vitamin E might be a powerful anti-carcinogen, or cancer fighter. A researcher in Switzerland, Angelo Azzi found that Vitamin E inhibits protein kinase C activity. Protein kinase C activity in turn is a process that activates enzymes that stimulate tumor growth [2]. Mrs. Losonczy, a researcher with the National Institute on Aging found by studying 11,798 people ages 65 to 105 that those who took Vitamin E supplements on a regular basis were 41 percent less likely to die from cancer and 40 percent less likely to die from heart disease than the people who didn’t take vitamin E [3].
Other Functions of Vitamin E
Vitamin E protects the skin from UV rays and ozone, the major contributors to wrinkles, brown spots and even cancer [4].
Vitamin E might alleviate symptoms of arthritis and other chronic inflammatory diseases [5].
Vitamin E cuts the risk of prostate cancer in men and can curtail growth of breast cancer cells [6].
One last word about vitamin E’s implication on aging. Dr. Deamer at the University of California-Davis performed some experiments with vitamin E and aging on the cellular level. Aging of course starts at the cellular level. Long before we can see the signs of aging, over time our cells undergo delicate changes. One of the measurable signs of aging on the cellular level is the accumulation of and age pigment called lipofuscin in virtually all of our specialized cells including the brain and heart. Lipofuscin is a chemical indicator of lipid per-oxidation. This is the same process that causes oil to become rancid. In other words our cells become rancid [7].
The Experiments
Dr. Deamer grew young cells in 10 percent serum. An environment cells show normal growth without evidence of lipofuscin until old age. Then he grew the same type of cells in low serum medium. Nutrient deprived, the cells could not function as needed. These cells accumulated an impressive amount of lipofuscin early on in their life span. Premature aging. The third step involved growing the same type of cells in the same nutrient deprived medium, but he added 100 micrograms of vitamin E. These cells did not develop lipofuscin. These cells literally remained young [8].
Dr. Packer performed an experiment to test the
Hayflick phenomenon [9]. In short, there might be a “clock” that regulates the number of cell divisions within each and every single cell. Dr. Leonard Hayflick is the first scientist to publish about this information. Dr. Packer took a WI 38 embryonic human lung cell, a cell that duplicates about 50 times when grown in culture as described above. Vitamin E doubled, yes you read right, vitamin E doubled the life span of the cell. Instead of dividing 50 times as expected the observed cells went through division more than 100 times [10]. Food SourcesThe best sources of alpha-tocopherol are oils from vegetables such as cottonseed, safflower, canola, corn oil, followed by olive oil [11]. The next couple of examples show why it is hard to get all the recommended Vitamin E, 400 I.U. needs for one day from the diet. In order to get a “fix” of 30 I.U. one would have to consume any of the following: 1 tablespoon wheat germ oil, 3 ounces of almonds, 12 ounces peanut butter, 13 tablespoons soybean oil, 2 pounds butter, 2.5 pounds asparagus, 2.5 pounds spinach, 7.5 pounds baked shrimp, 124 slices whole wheat bread, 9.5 pounds broccoli [12]. Remember the amounts of any of these foods contain only 30 I.U. of vitamin E. I let you do the math and figure out how much you have to eat of each to get 400 I.U. Luckily there are fortified ready to eat cereals out there, but they might contain only one form of tocopherol. Vitamin E Deficiency
By now I think the immense importance of vitamin E has become clear. There are other clinical needs that should be considered. Infants need optimum vitamin E stores, so it is very important for lactating women to get enough vitamin E [13]. Hemolytic anemia, a medical problem present in premies can be treated successfully with vitamin E [14]. Research shows that cystic fibrosis patients might also benefit from optimum vitamin E intake [15]. Conclusion
Studies show that vitamin E might be a powerful tool to prevent oxidative stress on our bodies. Protecting cellular integrity is essential to ward of the “disease’ of aging and thus promote longevity. Antioxidants, such as vitamin E, could be important to improve the quality of life in the golden years and contribute to healthy aging.
Are all of us going to become centenarians? I doubt it? Can we make a resolution to consciously provide our bodies with the resources necessary not only to hover along and maybe meet basic nutritional needs, but foster an environment for optimum cell function including growth and repair to ensure healthy aging? In turn allowing us to ward off many so called age related diseases and help us live not only longer but also with a better quality of life? The answer is a resounding yes! As we discover more and more about human nutrition and the pivotal role optimum nutrition plays in preventing disease, we will slowly but surely shift from a reactionary mode of treating chronic disease to a paradigm in which prevention of chronic disease via proper nutrition is the desired outcome. Remember, “Health is wealth!”
Keeping that in mind, Beste Gesundheit for the coming decades and thank you [fname], for being a CAM News reader.
WernerReferences:
1. Schlenker E., Long S. Williams’ Essentials of Nutrition & Diet Therapy. (2007) Mosby-Elsevier. St Louis, Missouri. p. 120
2. Packer L,. Colman C. The Antioxidant Miracle: Put Lipoic Acid, Pycnogenol, and Vitamins E and C to Work for You.(1999). Wiley & Sons, New York. p58
3. —p58
4. —p54
5. —p54
6. —p54
7. —p59
8. —p59
9. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senescence
10. Packer L,. Colman C. The Antioxidant Miracle: Put Lipoic Acid, Pycnogenol, and Vitamins E and C to Work for You.(1999). Wiley & Sons, New York. p60
11. Schlenker E., Long S. Williams’ Essentials of Nutrition & Diet Therapy. (2007) Mosby-Elsevier. St Louis, Missouri. p.121
12. Packer L,. Colman C. The Antioxidant Miracle: Put Lipoic Acid, Pycnogenol, and Vitamins E and C to Work for You.(1999). Wiley & Sons, New York. 227
13. Schlenker E., Long S. Williams’ Essentials of Nutrition & Diet Therapy. (2007) Mosby-Elsevier. St Louis, Missouri.p.121
14. Traber MG: Vitamin E. In Shils ME et al, eds: Modern nutrition in health and disease, ed 10. (2006). Baltimore. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
15. Back E., et al: Antioxidant deficiency in cystic fibrosis: when is the right time to take action? (2004). American Journal or Clinical Nutrition 80:374
From the Nei Jing- Ancient Chinese Medicine Classical Text
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